National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) is an annual observance to highlight the importance of protecting infants from vaccine-preventable diseases and to celebrate the achievements of immunization programs in promoting healthy communities throughout the United States.
This year, NIIW will be celebrated April 24-30, 2022. A primary focus is to ensure children are up-to-date on their routinely recommended vaccinations, especially as some vaccines may have been missed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vaccines are among the most successful and cost-effective public health tools available for preventing disease and death. Vaccines help protect both individuals and communities by preventing and reducing the spread of infectious diseases. Among children born during 1994-2018, vaccination will prevent an estimated 419 million illnesses, 26.8 million hospitalizations, and 936,000 deaths over their lifetimes.
Ensuring access to vaccinations is a critical component of maintaining the public’s health. Through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, the Department provides vaccines to partners to immunize uninsured and underinsured children according to the recommended immunization schedule. Each year, the New Jersey VFC program provides about 1.6 million doses of vaccines to providers throughout the State. This has contributed directly to a substantial increase in childhood immunization coverage levels and a reduction in disparities in vaccination coverage among young children.
The Department encourages providers, public health professionals, and individuals to participate in NIIW by talking about the importance of childhood immunization with families through their websites and social media channels using the hashtag #ivax2protect.
For additional information about NIIW and vaccine-preventable diseases, please visit www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/niiw/index.html and www.nj.gov/health/cd/vpdp.shtml. Visit https://covid19.nj.gov/pages/finder to find COVID-19 vaccine locations near you.
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